Fortifying Drug Prevents Bone Loss From Steroids

A medicine widely used to fortify brittle bones in older women can also help prevent bone loss caused by steroid drugs, a study found.

Corticosteroid injections are used to treat many conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and inflamed tendons. However, long use carries a variety of side effects, including erosion of the bones.

In a new study, doctors showed that etidronate, a nonhormonal medicine used to treat brittle bones in older women, also helps protect against the bone loss resulting from steroid treatment.

The one-year study was conducted on 141 men and women by Dr. Jonathan D. Adachi and others from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.